Vehicle.



No. 678,0I5. Patented July 9, I90I. J. H. MONINGER.

VEHICLE.

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No. 678,0l5. Y "Patented July 9, |901.

J. H. MoNmGER.

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INVENTOR vlO UNITED STATESN PATENT Y OFFICE.

JAMES vH. MONI-NGR, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,015, dated July 9,' 1901.

Application iild February 14, 1901. Serial No. 47,282'. (No model.)

'To'all whom, 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MONINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicles,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of vehicles; and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved closed-'top con-pv struction adapted for useon the body of an ordinary piano-box buggy, to provide means whereby said closed top Amay be applied to bodies of different dimensions, and to produce` other improvements, the details of con-l struction of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter." These objects Iaccomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piano-box bu ggy-body, showing my improved top thereon. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a` sectional view on line a: a; of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line y fy of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail viewin perspective showing the inner portion of one end of the buggy-body with parts of my improved topV connected therewith. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the interior of a portion ofthe buggybody', a portion of the seat-frame, and a part of my improved top; and Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective of one ofthe top frame andare supported from each side of the forward end of 'the body l. in the manner hereinafter described.

As indicated in the drawings, a door-space 5 is formed on each side of the vehicle between each of the forward frame-standards 4 and the forward portion of the body sides 2. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6v of the drawings, the top sides 2 and top-back 2a are supported from the usual open-body seatframe'comprising the front and rear transverse seat-frame bars 6 and inner side-bars 7, the base and inner side portion ofeach of 'the top sides 2 being provided with inwardly projecting sills or bars 8, which, as indicated at.9,are bolted to the seat-frame bars 6 of the body. Upon the front and rear seat-frame bars 6 are secured frame-bars 10,'to the ends of which are bolted or otherwise secured,as indicated at il in Fig. 6, the inner framesiandards 12 at the forward end portions of thetcp sides 2. As shown in the drawings, the outer face of each of these inner framestandards is preferably provided with a groove 12, extending throughout the greater portion' of its length.

In forming the connection of the forward portion of the top-body with the body 1 I employ a forward top-frame, of which 14 represents a lower horizontal frame-bar, which rests upon the upper side of the vertical forward wall 1b of the body 1. (See Figs. 5 and 3.) This frame-bar 14, which is of sufcient w'idth to form an inwardly-extending ange at the top of the body portion 1b, has formed therein near each end a longitudinal slotted opening 15, and from the ends of this framebar 14 rise the forward corner frame-standards 4 of the top-body, the inner faces of standards 4 being provided with grooves 4,which are opposite and correspond with the grooves 13 of the top-frame standards 12. At the j unction of the sides and forward end of the body 1 I pro-l vide vertical corner-posts 16, and to the inner face of each of said corner-posts I secure the vertical downwardly-extending arm 17a of a top frame and body uniting bracket 17. This bracket, as indicated more clearly in Fig. '7 ofthe drawings, consists in an angular shank portion comprising said arm 17L and an upper outwardly-.extending arm 17h, which terminates in an upwardly-extending threaded stem or bolt 17. The portion 17b bears in the recessed upper end ot the corner-post 16, while the bolt portion 17' extends upward IOO loosely through the corresponding slotted v opening 15 of the cross frame-piece 14, said bolt portion beingadapted to receive a nut18. 19 v.represents the vertical dash, which is secured at its ends to the top-frame standards 4 and which rises from the front of the framebar 14. Above the dash the frame-standards 4 have secured thereto suitable inner framepieces 20, within which and between the dash and the upper transverse top-frame bar 21 is fitted a suitable window-frame 22, the,` upper side of the latter being hinged, as indicated at 23, to said upper transverse frame-bar 21. This window-frame is provided with a plateglass filling, such as is indicated at 22, and when said frame is swung upward is adapted to have its lower end detachably engage a pivoted depending hook 24, which is on the under side of the vehicle-top roof or roof-ceiling. It is obvious that both the sides and back of the top-body may be provided with` suitable windows, such as are indicated at 2'0" and 2G.

The grooves 13 and 4:t of the top-frame standards 12 and 4 are adapted to receive and` form guides for the edges of curtains 27, which are mounted on suitable rollers 28, journaled above the dorways 5. It isobvi- 4ons, however, that the doorways mightbe provided with swinging or sliding doors, if desired.

Owingr to the fact that the bolt portions 1,7c

of the brackets 17 project through slottedVv openings 15 of the frame-bar 14 it is obvious that the top-frame may be applied to bodies of dierent widths, thus admittingof said topframes being manufactured of a standard size and adapted for use on bodies ot' varying widths.

From the construction which I have herein shown and described it will be seen that a simple and desirable construction of closedvehiole top is provided, through the employi ment of which an'ordinary piano-box buggybody may be readily converted into a closedtop'vehicle, such as is adapted for the winter months, and that said closed top may when desired be removed and the open body provided With the usual seat and dash.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Inl a vehicle, thecombination with an open ipiano-box buggybody,of a separately-formed JAMES H. IVIONINGER;`

In presence of- C. C. SHEPHERD, W. L. MoRRow. 

